What is the Minister doing to help local people purchase community assets?
Answered by Minister for Finance and Local Government | Answered on 01/11/2022
We have made a firm commitment to supporting community led developments, where this is appropriate, and provide the following financial and other support:
- Ystadau Cymru has produced a Best Practice Guide to Community Asset Transfers, which is meant to provide a template for local authorities and other public bodies to use to transfer assets.
- The Community Facilities Programme (CFP) now provides grants of up to £300k to help communities buy, develop and improve community assets – buildings and green spaces. The CFP has provided over £41m in capital grants to projects across Wales since 2017.
- The £5m Community Asset Loan Fund, delivered for us by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), complements CFP by providing long term loans of up to £300k for community groups seeking to take ownership of community assets.
- In addition, Third Sector Support Wales (which comprises WCVA and the 19 county voluntary councils in Wales), along with other third sector organisations including Cwmpas, the Development Trusts Association Wales and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust are already providing a range of support to community groups, helping them to manage community facilities.